Tuyere



Aug. 30, 1932- P. P. CUNNINGHAM 1,873,996

- TUYERE Filed March 25, 1952 '4 l I I III III],

INVENTOR BY ms ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE A PATRICK P. CUNNINGHAM, 01E PROVO, UTAH 'IUYERE Application filed March 23, 1932. Serial no. 600,803.

This invention relates to improvements in blast furnace tuyeres and contemplates the provision of a new type of tuyere having means incorporated therein or associated therewith for directing a scavenging current of air to the interior of the tuyere so as to blow away any molten iron or molten slag or cinder which may tend to run back on or be precipitated in the tuyere opening when the main air blast is interrupted or diminished, when checking the furnace. The invention will be fully apparent from the.

. following specification when read in connecjuncts.

tion with the accompanying drawing and the features of novelty will be defined with particularity in the appended claims.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the lower portion of a blast furnace showing a tuyere and related equipment embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a face View of my improved tuyere; a

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section thereof on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 represents a typical form of blast furnace having the usual hearth section 12, bosh 14 and stack wall section 16 Surrounding the furnace, there is the usual bustle pipe 18, which supplies a high pressure air blast to a plurality of so-called blowstocks 20, which are connected with the blow pi cs 22 and the tuyeres, indicated as a. who e at 23. Each tuyere 23 is tapered as shown and is removably held in the central tapered opening of the usual water cooled tuyere cooler 25. In the usual form of tuyere, there is a tendency to destroy the tuyre when molten iron or slag fiows into-the blast opening thereof. Variousexpedients have been suggested for cuttin down the blast furnace operating expense y providing protective means usually secured either in the nose ofthe tuyere, or' formed of refractory jackets surrounding the tuyere. These are relatively expensive ads Instead of using such refractory protectors to prol ong the t uyere life, I provide. means for directing a scavenging current of air in the tuyere opening. This scavenging current can be applied independently of the main air blast, which flows through the tuyere. This iso'f importance because much tuyere damage is'done while the main air blast is shut off, or while the pressure of the main air blast is materially lessened. The scavenging current of air blows away'any molten iron or slag which tends to accumulate and thus prevents such iron or slag from exerting a destructive or erosive actlon on the tuyere wall.-

As illustrated best in Figs. 2 and 3, my

improved tuyere has the usual central tuyere opening 24 through which the main air blast is directed'by the usual blow pipe 22; .A particular feature of my improved tuyere is the provision of a conduit 26 having an orifice 28 opening into the main opening 24Yof the tuyere, sothat a scavenging jet of air, as indicated by dotted lines at 30, may be di-' rected against the inner wall 32, which defines the main tuyere opening. This jet of air is eife'ctive to blow out any molten cinder or molten metal which may tend to run back i into the tuyere when the main blast pressure is either diminished or shut off, such as occurs when checking the furnace, or when interrupting the normal"blowing-pressure. The conduit 26 of each tuyere will be connected with a branch pipe 34 having a suitable twoway valve 36 therein, said branch pipeconnecting with a hi gh pressure auxiliary bustle pipe 38. This bustle pipe will be connected with a suitable source of high pressure air and will provide means whereby a high pressure stream of scavenging air can be supplied to any selected tuyere it being understood Where the jet from the conduit 26 strikes the surface of the wall 32. The tuyere is preferably water jacketed as shown and the conduit 26 is disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the tuyere opening 24 as shown.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that my invention provides a relatively inexpensive means for scavenging the interior of the tuyere independently of the normal air blast pressure. This contributes to the useful life of the t-uycre, yet does not involve the use of special protective coverings, fillings, or other changes in tuyere structure. The addition of the high pressure air supply pipe adds very little ext a expenseto the cost of the original installation and of course the high pressure air supply is always available around blast furnace equipment. The invention, therefore, provides means for materially cutting down the tuyere expense and it is thought that this saving in prolonging the tuyere life will morethan pay for the additional cost of air supply equipment in a short period of time. 7 Various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

\Vhat I claim is z- I v '1. A tuyere having an inner wall defining the blast opening of the tuyere and means communicating with said opening ior directing a scavenging current against said wall. 7

2. A tuyere. having, an inner wall defining the blast opening. other walls secured thereto constitutingthe water jacket for the tuvere.'and a conduit formed 1n the tuyere body for directing a scavenging current of air -1nto the blast'opening of the tuyere' 3. A blast furnace having a plurality of tuyeres. means formed in each of said tuyeres for projecting a scavenging current thereto,

a high pressure air supply means common to a plurality of the blast furnace tuyeres and valve means for controlling the air supply to the scavenging means.

4. A blast furnace having a plurality of tuyeres, each tuyere having a blast opening,

means for supplying the usual air blast to the tuyeres and means for supplying auxiliary scavenging high pressure air jets to the blast openings of said tuyeres.

' 5. A tuyere of the character described having an inner annular wall defining a blast open ng, and a conduit. disposed obliquely to I the longitudinal axis of said'blast opening and air supply means communicating with said conduit.

6. A tuyere ot the ing an inner annular Wall; defining a blast opening, and a conduit disposed obliquely to the longitudinal axis of said-blast opening and air supply means communicating with said conduitand valve means controlling the gong from said air supply means to said con- 7. A blast furnacetuyere having an inner wall defining the blast opening of the tuyere, means for supplying the usual air blast to said blast opening, a conduit communicating with said blast opening and'fluid pressure supply means communicating with said conduit for supplying a' scavenging jet .to the wall of the blast opening.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

PATRICK P. CUNNINGHAM.

character described hav- 

